Derby,” Drake concluded grimly.
Horrified, I realized what had really happened:
Derby
had abducted Lady Sarah, and had tried to make it look like Captain Drake had!
The Captain leaned casually over the edge of the platform to bellow some orders at Mr. Newman, who was staring up at us. I wasn’t sure what the orders were about, because they were entirely in Sailorish—something about putting bonnets on the sails and then something about a direction. …
“And Mr. Newman …,” Drake added.
“Aye, sir?” Mr. Newman asked.
“Clear for battle stations,” Drake finished coolly.
Mr. Newman’s face lit up. “Aye aye, sir!”
The ship below us erupted like a stepped-on ants’ nest—people were running everywhere—but it was a very organized sort of chaos. Soon more sails were unwrinkling themselves, and the yards—they’re the wooden beams that support the sails—were being pulled into different positions by ropes—called lines.The
Judith
began moving faster through the water, and changed direction towards the two distant ships that Masou had spotted.
“So Captain Derby took her,” murmured Drake thoughtfully. “And tried to lay the blame on me.”
Both Masou and I nodded.
Drake looked up. “I want the topsail set,” he said. “We’re here so we’ll do it. Up you go.”
My heart lurched. “I don’t know what to do, sir,” I told him. “I’m a page, not a sailor.”
“I know that. I’ll tell you what to do,” Drake assured me.
He followed us up the ratlines to where the top-yard crossed the mast. Then he told us to get our toes on the toe-rope and lean over the yard and shuffle along. Masou did it first. It’s a tree, I told myself; it’s a tree branch and there are cherries in an awkward place. I love cherries. So I gulped again, leaned over the yard, felt for the rope, and sort of slid along on my stomach. Everything whirled for a moment.
“Don’t forget to breathe, lad,” I heard Drake’s voice say—and it sounded as though he were sauntering in a garden. He was next to the mast, busy with ropes. “Now you’ll see a reef knot in front ofyou. Untie it, loosen the rope, and let the sail drop.”
Yes, there was a knotted rope in front of me, holding the sail tight to the yard, which was rocking wildly. It’s a tree, I said to myself again, just a tree. I fumbled at the knot, picking at it one-handed, the other hand holding tight to the wooden yard. At last, after I broke a nail, it came undone.
“Come back now,” said Drake.
I slid back along the yard, grabbed the ratlines, and stepped back onto them, wobbling from sheer fright. Drake caught my shoulder and held me steady until I could catch my breath and get a proper grip. Then he did more mysterious stuff with rope, shouted, and the topsail plopped out and was pulled taut from below. The ship leaned over further and picked up speed.
Drake started climbing down again. Masou and I followed, although I was still shaking.
Back on the fighting top once more, it felt almost as good as a deck.
“So you’re Lady Sarah’s page and you came to help her, though you know nothing of the sea?” Drake asked, staring at me shrewdly. I nodded.
Masou was listening to this with fascination.Drake turned to him next. “And you came to help your friend here?” he asked. Masou nodded, too.
Then Drake held out his hand for us to shake, so we did, fumbling with surprise. “I like courage and enterprise in any man, and faithfulness in any friend,” he said soberly. I felt my heart swell with pride. “Can either of you use weapons?” he then asked.
“I can shoot with a bow, sir,” I said, which is true, since I’ve been taught archery to go hunting with the Queen—except I’ve never had the heart to shoot anything alive. But I’m quite good at targets.
“A knife,” said Masou, eyes narrowing. “I can throw a knife.”
“Hm,” said Drake with a smile, “so can I. We’ll have a contest one day.” He shaded his eyes
Horrified, I realized what had really happened:
Derby
had abducted Lady Sarah, and had tried to make it look like Captain Drake had!
The Captain leaned casually over the edge of the platform to bellow some orders at Mr. Newman, who was staring up at us. I wasn’t sure what the orders were about, because they were entirely in Sailorish—something about putting bonnets on the sails and then something about a direction. …
“And Mr. Newman …,” Drake added.
“Aye, sir?” Mr. Newman asked.
“Clear for battle stations,” Drake finished coolly.
Mr. Newman’s face lit up. “Aye aye, sir!”
The ship below us erupted like a stepped-on ants’ nest—people were running everywhere—but it was a very organized sort of chaos. Soon more sails were unwrinkling themselves, and the yards—they’re the wooden beams that support the sails—were being pulled into different positions by ropes—called lines.The
Judith
began moving faster through the water, and changed direction towards the two distant ships that Masou had spotted.
“So Captain Derby took her,” murmured Drake thoughtfully. “And tried to lay the blame on me.”
Both Masou and I nodded.
Drake looked up. “I want the topsail set,” he said. “We’re here so we’ll do it. Up you go.”
My heart lurched. “I don’t know what to do, sir,” I told him. “I’m a page, not a sailor.”
“I know that. I’ll tell you what to do,” Drake assured me.
He followed us up the ratlines to where the top-yard crossed the mast. Then he told us to get our toes on the toe-rope and lean over the yard and shuffle along. Masou did it first. It’s a tree, I told myself; it’s a tree branch and there are cherries in an awkward place. I love cherries. So I gulped again, leaned over the yard, felt for the rope, and sort of slid along on my stomach. Everything whirled for a moment.
“Don’t forget to breathe, lad,” I heard Drake’s voice say—and it sounded as though he were sauntering in a garden. He was next to the mast, busy with ropes. “Now you’ll see a reef knot in front ofyou. Untie it, loosen the rope, and let the sail drop.”
Yes, there was a knotted rope in front of me, holding the sail tight to the yard, which was rocking wildly. It’s a tree, I said to myself again, just a tree. I fumbled at the knot, picking at it one-handed, the other hand holding tight to the wooden yard. At last, after I broke a nail, it came undone.
“Come back now,” said Drake.
I slid back along the yard, grabbed the ratlines, and stepped back onto them, wobbling from sheer fright. Drake caught my shoulder and held me steady until I could catch my breath and get a proper grip. Then he did more mysterious stuff with rope, shouted, and the topsail plopped out and was pulled taut from below. The ship leaned over further and picked up speed.
Drake started climbing down again. Masou and I followed, although I was still shaking.
Back on the fighting top once more, it felt almost as good as a deck.
“So you’re Lady Sarah’s page and you came to help her, though you know nothing of the sea?” Drake asked, staring at me shrewdly. I nodded.
Masou was listening to this with fascination.Drake turned to him next. “And you came to help your friend here?” he asked. Masou nodded, too.
Then Drake held out his hand for us to shake, so we did, fumbling with surprise. “I like courage and enterprise in any man, and faithfulness in any friend,” he said soberly. I felt my heart swell with pride. “Can either of you use weapons?” he then asked.
“I can shoot with a bow, sir,” I said, which is true, since I’ve been taught archery to go hunting with the Queen—except I’ve never had the heart to shoot anything alive. But I’m quite good at targets.
“A knife,” said Masou, eyes narrowing. “I can throw a knife.”
“Hm,” said Drake with a smile, “so can I. We’ll have a contest one day.” He shaded his eyes
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